EVENT- Performance of Er Toshtuk Kyrgyz Epic in New York, Mar. 27-Apr. 12
Posted by: Virlana Tkacz <yara@prodigy.net>
La MaMa Experimental Theatre and Yara Arts Group present "Er Toshtuk"
based on one of the oldest Kyrgyz epics, featuring artists from
Kyrgyzstan and Yara Arts Group performers from New York.
March 27 to April 12, 2009.
La MaMa ETC, 74A East Fourth Street (between 2nd & 3rd Ave), New York.
Thurs.-Sat. at 8:00; Sun. at 2:30. $18; Box Office (212) 475-7710;
www.lamama.org
"Er Toshtuk" a magical and darkly humorous theatre piece about a
journey into the underworld and out into the cosmos. Toshtuk, a young
warrior, falls into the Underworld and must battle giants, monsters
and a killer cauldron as he grows up, finding love and loyal friends.
The production, created by Virlana Tkacz and Kenzhegul Satybaldieva,
with Kyrgyz artists and Yara Arts Group, features traditional music,
modern design and movement. It will be performed in a combination of
Kyrgyz and English but will be completely accessible to American audiences.
The performance will be very visual, combining movement, song, dance
and shadow puppetry. Designer Watoku Ueno has created shadow puppets
for the production based on traditional designs. Movement will
include a traditional jinde-be. Music is performed live by Nurbek
Serkebaev on ancient instruments including the kyl-kiyak (a small,
bowed, unfretted fiddle with two strings and a plaintive tone), chopo
cho'or (a pottery ocarina), temir o komuz (a metal jaw's harp) and
jygach ooz komuz (a wooden jaw's harp with one string, unique to
Kyrgyz music, that sounds like throat singing). Costume design
includes Kyrgyz embroideries incorporated into modern costumes. New
York-based Yara artists will include Susan Hyon and Daniel Darrow.
The Kyrgyz cast includes Kenzhegul Satybaldieva (who created the title
role in Yara Arts Group's "Janyl" at La MaMa in 2007) and five artists
from Kyrgyzstan: Umarbek Kadyrov, Ainura Kachkynbek kyzy, Azamat
Serkebaev, Eldiiar Dzharashev, and Nurlan Erzhanov.
Yara Arts Group has made multiple trips to Kyrgyzstan to create
dramatic pieces based on Kyrgyz epics. Work started on this project
when director Virlana Tkacz was a Fulbright Scholar in Bishkek last
spring, and did the initial translation and developed the piece. The
first workshop performances were held last May at the B'Art Center in
Bishkek, after which it toured to remote villages in Kyrgyzstan,
playing to packed houses. Yara's work on Kyrgyz epics is chronicled
in a recent book, "Kyrgyz Epic Theatre in New York: Photographs by
Margaret Morton" (published by University of Central Asia).
For more information see:http://www.brama.com/yara/toshtuk-lm-press.html
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